London City Airport

Location -
The London City airport is one of the most important airports of United
Kingdom with more than 15 airlines catering to over 25 destinations. It
handles an annual passenger footfall of nearly 1.5 million. The airport
is well-located, away from the clogged streets of the proper London city.
It is 10 miles from the West End and the Westminster area, the seat of government
offices. The airport is located only 6 miles from business district of London.
Important roads and train services also connect the airport with the rest
of the city.Know your Airport - Queen Elizabeth II
inaugurated the London City Airport in November of 1987. As one of the leading
airports for business travel, London City Airport handles most of its traffic
during the winter season. The airport is also one of the privileged few
aircraft centers which handles a majority of the private jet centers near
the heart of central London. Hence, the recognition of having the best corporate
aviation passenger handling facilities in Europe for 2005 came as little
surprise. If you are a business traveler, London city airport and its services
are some of the best you can avail.

Terminals
- The London City airport has one terminal which was opened
for use in 1986. The single terminal handles all the passengers from
LCY airlines and other aviation service providers. Future plans indicate
that the terminal will be extended in both the eastern and western
sides to handle as much as 5 times more passengers than done currently
by the year 2030.
Transit systems - Escalators, elevators and stairs
connect the airport ground floor to the upper levels and departure
entrance. Disabled travelers can ask for assisted transport once inside
the airport. Easily accessible shuttle buses can spare the differently
abled travelers a major share of inconveniences. In addition to all
these, the airport is connected to the whole of the city by underground
railways and Canning Town is the closest jubilee line linking the
airport to the station.
Inside the terminals - The London City airport is famous
for its furiously fast check in and departure process. While it takes
as much as 2 hours or a minimum of 45 minutes to complete the check
in elsewhere, London City Airport completes it in just 15 minutes.
This means you can save as much half an hour on the routine procedure.
Inside the terminal there are 26 check-in desks and 5 self-service
kiosks for passengers traveling in BA, Air France and Lufthansa. The
main sales desk of the airport is in the middle of the terminal. Hand
baggage can also be checked here as well as at airline desks. Please
remember that due to the noise impact from each aircraft departure,
there have been special rules put in place. Operations are limited
within 5:30 and 21:30 time span from Monday to Friday. The airport
is closed for at least 24 hours every weekend.

Safety - Passengers are advised to be patient while
queuing at the check-in desks and security control. The London City
airport facilitates quick check in less than 20 minutes and that is
one of the main reasons why it is preferred by business travelers.
The security arrangements of the airport are in sync with the best
of 4 other airports, serving the London area. The presence of armed
police should not be misunderstood as they have been commissioned
to ensure the safety of all passengers, including you. The airport
staff is on alert for any unattended packages or bags. Small items
like jackets & coats, handbags, cameras, mobile phones, computers,
calculators, keys and coins are all required to be passed through
x-ray machines. Items like scissors, razor blades, household cutlery,
tools, darts, and flammable matter are strictly contraband. Instruments
containing mercury & magnets and radioactive materials are also
to be strictly avoided during boarding. Please consult individual
airlines as security policies may further vary from one to another.
Business facilities - For business travelers at LCY,
the Meridian Business Centre located inside the terminal building
(on the first floor) is an ultimate riposte in ambience and business
facilities. It is air-conditioned and offers soundproof rooms to suit
your business needs. It is ideal for meetings, conferences and training
necessities. After finishing a meeting, business travelers can use
the resident chauffeur company at London city Airport to travel to
London. If you choose to spend time on the airport itself till somebody
picks you up, you can check your pending work and emails as Internet
access and WiFi are available from the terminal concourse opposite
International Arrivals. In fact, the whole terminal is WiFi-enabled.
If you happen to have misplaced or forgotten some item, be sure to
check the lost property and left luggage room, situated in security
zone A. In any case, make sure you promptly report the authorities.
Left Luggage facilities are available at a charge of £2 per
item per 24-hour period.
Family interests - Family interests are plenty in the
airport and let us tell you about the eating options available. In
the departures area, the Meridian Line table service restaurant and
Yeager's café/bar are situated at the upper level. The Bewleys,
situated at a lower level provides good food as well as Internet access.
This is all that you have on the landside area. On the airside of
the departures area, you can delight yourself in the small Italian
Trattoria. Enjoy mouth-watering pasta, seafood and breakfast at this
eatery. The Marchais Frais Carte offers health food like salads, baguettes
and if you have kids, they will definitely want to taste the sweet
temptation of pastries and drinks. If shopping is on cards and you
want to read something just to spend some time, avail the newspaper
and book shop on the lower level of the departure area. On the airside
of the same, you can avail attractive deals at the tax free shopping
area. Please note that tax free goods are available to UK domestic
passengers who are gregarious enough to share the departure lounge
with other travelers of neighboring countries. Items like shoes, leather
goods, clothing, luxury and traditional food are all available to
gratify your shopping instincts.

Extra information
- While designated smoking areas are available in the restaurant,
some restrictions exist at the terminal. As far as disabled travelers
are concerned, LCY has some extra arrangements for them like reserved
parking bays and airport shuttle buses having hydraulic ramps. Facilities
are also available for boarding aircraft but please ensure that you
have informed the proper airline in advance.

Leaving from London City airport - If you plan
to leave for London City Airport by train, then it might be a right
decision especially if you plan to move out of London on that day
to other locations in UK. From the London railway station, the airport
is easily accessible by the London underground system. The nearest
underground station to the airport is Canning Town. If you would rather
leave by coach, then you might be better served if you use the National
Express. For those willing to enjoy a more leisurely journey into
the city, availing number 69 buses, which stop at the airport terminal,
would be a better option. The quaint old cabs can also be availed
just from outside the terminal building in the specified taxi rank.

Essentials - If you are foreign national or if
you happen to have come to UK after spending a considerable amount of time
outside, the first thing that you will search for is a currency exchange
service provider. There is a Bureau de Change at London City Airport and
it also lets you avail its services from a total of three outlets situated
within the terminal. They can be found at the terminal concourse on the
ground floor, the departure lounge and in the international arrivals hall.
Cash points are also available inside the airport and there are 4 locations
in all. Two cash points can be located on the ground floor in the public
area beside the Bureau de Change. The other two can be had of in the Departure
Lounge and in the International Arrivals Hall. For those wanting to send
a letter home as soon as they landed on the airport, a post box is available
at the terminal entrance. Use the store on the ground floor of the terminal
to collect the necessary stamps. As far as phones are concerned, coin-operated
as well as both credit card & phone card telephones are available throughout
the terminal.